Re-elect Segal to School Board

It is with great enthusiasm that I endorse the election of Kate Segal as the Exeter representative on the Exeter Regional Cooperative School Board. Let me first admit to some bias in this regard. Kate was one of my most memorable students when I had the pleasure of being her social studies teacher in Bethlehem, New Hampshire....

Comment

seacoastonline.com

Writer

Posted Mar. 7, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Posted Mar. 7, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

To the Editor:

It is with great enthusiasm that I endorse the election of Kate Segal as the Exeter representative on the Exeter Regional Cooperative School Board. Let me first admit to some bias in this regard. Kate was one of my most memorable students when I had the pleasure of being her social studies teacher in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. Even as a teenager, she stood out as one of the most energetic, enthusiastic and competent members of her peer group. Thus, you can imagine the satisfaction I take in seeing how she has brought these same qualities to bear as an adult in her efforts as a Co-op Board member for the last six years, and to her current role as board chair. Kate was raised in a family known for its commitment to public service, transparency and fiscal responsibility. She was also raised to value the role of education and hard work as the pathway to individual success. She has achieved a clear record of success as an educator, counselor and administrator, who understands the complex challenges in public education today. Thus she combines a realistic understanding of the needs of contemporary students with an instinctive concern for doing so in the most fiscally responsible manner. Like her current colleagues on the board, she has worked diligently to succeed, and feels a commitment to make this same opportunity available to this current generation of students.

In pursuit of this goal, Kate has dedicated endless hours to attendance at board meetings, committee assignments and public hearings. She has worked cooperatively with school administrators, budget committee members and her fellow board members to work out a reasonable budget proposal that meets the needs of our students, while trying to protect the interest of the hard working taxpayers who support these budgets. I know that it was not easy for Kate and her colleagues to cut staff positions in our middle school and high school during the dramatic slow-down in our economy, but she did. It was obvious as well that she agonized over the painful decision to reduce the hours of our dedicated paraprofessionals but again, for fiscal reasons, she did. Indeed, she clearly understands that quality education is a costly service, but one that is essential to combat the wage stagnation currently facing many workers.

My concern over Kate's re-election intensified recently, when her opponent openly argued at the deliberative session for a dramatic cut of over four million dollars from the proposed budget. His motion, however, included no specifics as to how these cuts could be achieved. I also sensed that he had not availed himself of any opportunity to make his plan known at any of the numerous meetings that were held over the last several months to create this budget. I'm sure that he is sincere in his desire to reduce the cost of education in our middle and high schools, but it flies in the face of the deliberative procedures and checks that we have established to do so in a meaningful matter. Kate and this board have made it clear that they are very open to suggestions for how we can deliver educational services in a more cost effective manner. Hopefully all interested parties will participate in this time consuming process, but not do so with 11th hour proposals that offer no concrete solutions. Thus, I would urge voters in all of the towns in SAU 16 to vote to return Kate Segal to her position on the Cooperative School Board on Tuesday, March 11.